Category by category
| Category | SE Ranking | Ahrefs |
|---|---|---|
| Features | – | Stronger |
| Backlinks | – | Stronger |
| Keywords | – | Stronger |
| Pricing | Even | Even |
| Ease of use | Stronger | – |
| Support | Even | Even |
| Starting price | from £95/mo | from £23/mo |
Category calls are editorial judgements, not lab test results. Swipe sideways if the table is cut off.
- Features
- Ahrefs has Content Explorer and deeper competitive research. SE Ranking is more complete on reporting and local SEO; our call favours Ahrefs on research depth
- Backlinks
- Ahrefs is built around backlink research and presents its live link index as a core strength. SE Ranking's backlink toolset is solid for its tier. Our call favours Ahrefs on published features
- Keywords
- Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer supports several search engines beyond Google with detailed metrics. SE Ranking covers the main keyword research needs of most professional workflows
- Pricing
- Compare the source-linked plan prices and included limits below. Currency and billing basis must match before treating one option as cheaper.
- Ease of use
- In our view SE Ranking is slightly more accessible for all-round use. Ahrefs is clean but geared to specific research workflows
- Support
- Check the vendor help centre and support terms for the plan you are considering; no comparative response-time test is claimed.
Every paid plan on one price scale
SE Ranking
- Core£95/mo
- Growth£209/mo
Ahrefs
- Starter£23/mo
- Lite£99/mo
- Standard£199/mo
- Advanced£359/mo
- Partly checkedSE Ranking: prices read from seranking.com on . Shown in GBP as the vendor displayed it; not converted. GBP as displayed. Annual totals calculated; add-ons, seats and extra keyword allowances cost more.
- Partly checkedAhrefs: prices read from ahrefs.com on . Shown in GBP as the vendor displayed it; not converted. GBP as displayed to this location. Enterprise has an annual commitment; no annual prices inferred here. Additional seats and enabled usage add-ons can cost extra.
Which should you pick?
Pick SE Ranking if
Backlink analysis and deep keyword research are central to your work, and you want maximum research depth
SE Ranking plans and catchesPick Ahrefs if
You want comprehensive all-in-one SEO (keyword research, site audit, rank tracking, and reporting) at a lower price than Ahrefs
Ahrefs plans and catchesOur take
The question here is research depth versus breadth at a lower price. On published features, Ahrefs goes deeper on backlinks and keywords, which matters most when researching competitive link profiles or judging difficulty in tough niches. SE Ranking covers most everyday SEO tasks in a lower price tier and adds white-label reporting that Ahrefs lacks. For a solo SEO or small agency, our view is that this trade-off is often worth it.